Partner Article

Manchester entrepreneur dances to the beat of her own tune

A business woman is making dance more accessible with the launch of her new company, thanks to the help from one of the UK’s leading business start-up support specialists, Blue Orchid.

Jessica Slater, 23, from Manchester set up Dancelinks in August this year - an online directory for all dance studios in the community. With over 4,000 dance studios already listed, dancers of all ages, styles and abilities can easily find classes in their area using the search engine facility. The site also will soon showcase dance school reviews and an up-to-date calendar of various events taking place across the UK, such as ballroom contests, festivals of dance and street championships.

Jessica first came up with the concept after she found it difficult to search the internet for dance schools in her local area. She said: “After University, I was looking to carry on studying ballet and jazz but I also wanted to try zumba and salsa. I quickly realised that it was going to be a lengthy process of traipsing through websites and the yellow pages to find local classes, and the majority of this information was out-dated anyway. While searching for dance schools, I also found that there were no reviews or calendars to see when dance shows were on, so that’s when my business idea first came to mind.”

To help formulate and strengthen her business plan, Jessica decided to seek further advice to ensure her business would be a success. She contacted Blue Orchid where she was immediately assigned to a business advisor who provided one-to-one specialist start-up advice and consultation. Jessica was also given the opportunity to attend a series of training workshops on areas like marketing and bookkeeping in order to improve her skills.

Jessica said: “The support I’ve received has been excellent and it’s incredible that it’s all at no cost. My business advisor, Stuart Ridgway, was always on hand to answer all my questions and he was particularly supportive in helping me to understand the financial side of my business. The training provided was invaluable too and has given me the knowledge and confidence to get my business up and running.”

Blue Orchid business advisor Stuart Ridgway said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Jessica on her business idea. Dancelinks is a great resource for those passionate about dance. It’s fantastic to see entrepreneurial spirit in the younger generation and with her drive and determination, I’m sure she’ll go far.”

Other budding entrepreneurs across Greater Manchester can access one-to-one business advice and support through Blue Orchid’s locally-based business start-up service. Based in easily accessible local venues, Blue Orchid’s business advisors work in the local community to offer a complete package of support for individuals wishing to set up their own business.

For more information about the services provided by Blue Orchid, please visit http://www.blueorchid.co.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by PR Agency One .